Letters From Skyrim
by Syroc
Summary: These are the letters between a scribe named Lavaemion of Alinor and her anonymous patron that details an investigation of Skyrim's saviour: the Dragonborn. But things are not quite as they seem, and victory has not been kind.
1. The First Letter

To my honourable patron,

As per your instruction, my lord, I have arrived in the city of Solitude aboard the chartered vessel _The Glorious Wave_ and have procured lodgings in the local inn. As it was nightfall when we arrived, I will postpone interviewing the local populace about their experiences with the Dragonborn until tomorrow.

I have also taken care to conceal my vessel's point of origin as you advised, my lord. While I must confess that I did not initially understand the relevance of this, I have long since seen the wisdom of your words. Our welcome to this land was as warm as the ice in the harbor, as there were armed soldiers on the docks waiting to accept us. It was only through the use of the documents you provided us with that we received permission to set moor and head into land. I thank you greatly for your foresight in this matter, my lord. I do not think I would have fared well in the care of the Stormcloaks without it.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for funding this endeavor. Without patrons such as yourself, how would history ever remember its greatest heroes save through the lies of the bards? (Please forgive me this pun, my lord.) After all, it is only through the written word that a mortal man may achieve immortality. It is my most fervent hope that my research here will help you do just that in your efforts to chronicle the deeds of the hero of our time.

Indeed, even as I write this letter I can overhear the chatter of the other patrons of this establishment talk of one of his local adventures: the exorcism of Potema. While of course I do not lend much credence to such tales, they do provide me with some interesting venues of investigation. Lord Falk and the High Lady Elisif in particular seem to be likely sources of information in this matter. I shall petition them for their time first thing tomorrow. Until then, I hope you will forgive me if I retire for now, and begin again when I have rested.

Faithfully yours,

Lavaemion of Alinor


	2. The Second Letter

To my honourable patron,

It is with a glad heart that I inform you that I was successful in my efforts to contact the lord Falk Firebeard, and was able to secure his testimony as well as a meeting with High Lady Elisif on the morrow.

As you have instructed, I have taken great pains to transcribe our conversation in full, taking no liberties nor making any embellishments. All is as Falk himself spoke to me in the privacy of his own home, though I fear you may be less than pleased with what I have gathered here. It is not- well, nevermind. I shall allow you to draw your own conclusions.

Please, read on.

"_Good evening sir. Please, allow me to humbly thank you once more for agreeing to my request."_

"_Welcome to my home, young lady. It is good that you thank me, as well. The Usurper does not like it when we 'upstart lordlings' speak of his 'Stormblade', no matter what we have to say about him."_

"_Stormblade? I have not heard this name before."_

"_It is what the Stormcloaks call him now. The censure has taken away his name and official records, but they can't take away that. Too many people know it, too many people remember."_

"_Censure? My lord, I am confused. I was under the impression that the dragonborn was considered a hero by the Stormcloaks, if not the nation at large!"_

"_A hero? Well, lots of people call him that. But not everyone. Not any more. Listen well, scribe: the Dragonborn was a traitor. Whatever he was before, that is what we here in Solitude know him to be now. Hah! He saved us from Potema's fury, only to throw wide our gates for Ulfric and his soldiers._

_Though the Usurper now likes to downplay the dragonborn's importance to his war, we who were defeated know well just who we have to blame for our defeat. It was not Ulfric Stormcloak who led every charge against the legions. It was not Ulfric Stormcloak who broke the back of the Empire here. It was the dragonborn, curse his name."_

"_My lord, hope I have not offended you with my questions-"_

"_Oh, don't worry your quills, elf. Your questions don't offend me. I am just bitter with defeat. You wanted to know about the censure, yes?"_

"_If you would indulge me, my lord."_

"_I will. Alright, listen well then. I should start by saying that whatever else he might have been, the dragonborn was a good man. A traitor, yes. But a man who truly believed in Ulfric's cause, who thought that with him on the throne Skyrim might change for the better. I have no doubt that the decision to betray us was a difficult one for him, and I only wish he had chosen otherwise. If so, things might be different now._

_Because victory did not treat him kindly. _

_The change he hoped for never came. Skyrim did not improve in the way he wanted. The Stormcloaks were not interested in improving the lot of the dark elves. They were not interested in protecting the roads for the roving bands of merchants. They were not interested in much that bore heavily on his thoughts. There were a great many small things that were not done, and the dragonborn had no stomach for the excuses that Ulfric supplied. He spoke out against the policies of the court. He would vanish for weeks on end, only to reappear with fresh supporters for his cause from the holds._

_One day, he left and did not return. The censure came not long after."_

"_So, you mean to say that the dragonborn is dead?"_

"_Dead? Hah! Vanished, maybe. But I have a hard time thinking that any soldier the High King's army would last longer very long against him. Maybe the army itself, but that would be a different story."_

"_My lord, surely you exaggerate-"_

"_Trust me, young lady. If the dragonborn had been killed, you can be certain that __somebody__ would be shouting about it." _

At this point there was a clamour at the front door to Lord Falk's manor, and several loud knocks sounded out through the manor.

"_Ah, I see that we have spoken too long. Please, you will want to see yourself out through the servant's entrance."_

"_Excuse me? But my lord, there is much more I would like to ask!"_

"_And if things were otherwise, I might have more answers for you. But you will have to ask Lady Elisif tomorrow. For now, I fear that I will have to speak with the Stormcloaks about why I have welcomed a High Elf into my home well after my curfew."_

"_I- I see. Thank you for your time, my lord. I will make haste to leave your home, and so avoid further implicating you."_

"_Yes. See that you do."_

And here I must admit that I shamed myself by fleeing the lord Falk's home. I fear that I will be unable to finish my interview with the lord Falkf, my lord, as I understand that he has been summoned by the High King himself in Windhelm. Should our investigations take us there, I will of course endeavor to conclude my interview with him. Until then, I can only hope that my next meeting will not be similarly truncated.

My lord, I hope that you will forgive my indiscretion in this matter. Even with my arrival at the docks, I had not thought that the Stormcloaks would be so zealous in investigating the comings and goings of a lone scribe. I will take measure to not repeat this foolish mistake.

Until tomorrow, my lord.

Faithfully yours,

Lavaemion of Alinor


	3. Missive

Lavaemion,

blf wrhzhhlrmg nv. wl mlg uzro fh ztzrm. urmd srn jfrxkob, zmw gscm xlnv yzxp.

F


	4. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

****Just so we're clear, the last chapter _isn't_ garbage. It's a coded message. It's using a pretty simple cypher and I've already done you a favour by keeping punctuation and spaces in there, so I won't be handing out any hints unless you _really_ want to know. With that said, you _don't_ need to know what's written. Let's call it a form of reader participation, eh?

I won't be using a different code in any future messages, unless people have great fun unlocking this one. In which case I could ramp up the difficulty a bit.


	5. The Third Letter

To my honorable patron,

I hope this letter finds you in good health, and that my previous missive has not cast a pall on our work. While it is unfortunate that my endeavor began so poorly, it is a possibility that we scholars cannot discount entirely. However, while we cannot always count on success, it would be equally foolish to assume resistance and misfortune at every turn.

And with this in mind I am glad to report that my conversation with the jarl Elisif has been much more successful than yesterday's, and has opened up fresh line of investigation!

Please, see for yourself!

"_Lady Elisif, I would like to say that is a privilege to meet you in person, and to thank you for agreeing to speak with me. I offer thanks on my patron's behalf as well, and extend his fondest greetings."_

"_Well, it's been some time since I was greeted so warmly. Please, - Lavaemion, wasn't it? – Please, consider yourself welcome in my halls. It has been too long since we welcomed a guest from outside of Skyrim. Where was it you came from, again?"_

"_Alinor, my lady. But my research has taken me far abroad, though I admit that this is the first time I have been to Skyrim."_

"_I see. And what exactly is it that you research?"_

"_Folk heroes, my lady. Both true and false. In the wake of the great war, many people are interested in hearing new stories with old names."_

"_Oh? But wouldn't this story have a new name?"_

"_Well, it would. Except I must admit that at this stage in my research I have yet to find a name at all. I don't suppose you could enlighten me...?"_

"_I'm sorry, but we only knew him as 'dragonborn' by the time he came to us. You know adventuring types: never big on names until they __have__ a big name."_

"_Hah! A wonderful turn of phrase, my lady. But I suppose that not everything can be easy. I don't suppose you would happen to know where I might be able to find out?"_

"_You might have better luck at the Bard's College. I think I recall headmaster Viarmo telling me that the dragonborn once attended there."_

"_Oh. Well. I suppose if I exhaust all other options, I may have to pay them a visit."_

"_Well, I suppose the people of Riverwood in the Whiterun hold may know. I've heard it said that the dragonborn came there first after being freed by Alduin's attack on Helgen."_

"_Alduin? That would be the legendary Alduin, would it not? The one that the dragonborn killed? Why would Alduin do such a thing?"_

"_I'm sure that had Alduin known who might benefit from its attack it would never come there, but I must admit that I do not know. For true insight into a dragon's mind, you would have to speak with the Greybeards, or the Blades."_

"_Ah, I see. I thank you for your advice, my lady. Be assured that I will put it to good use. My lady, please forgive me if I seem rude, but could I perhaps ask you to tell me about your own encounters with the dragonborn?"_

"_Oh, of course. It's been so long since- well, you know, and I simply enjoyed speaking with someone new."_

"_It makes me glad that you find me pleasant company, my lady."_

"_Yes, well. The dragonborn. I'm sorry to say that I don't think I'll be much help to your research. I only met him a few times during the war, and only once afterwards."_

"_Please, my lady. Every little piece helps."_

"_Well... I suppose it would, at that. Very well then._

_As I said, I only met the dragonborn a few times during the war. Well, I suppose it's more correct to say that we had only __seen__ eachother a few times during the war, as he most often dealt with the other members of my court. The first time was during an audience with a peasant from dragonbridge – a small village to the west of here – who claimed to have heard strange and frightening noises from a nearby cave. He asked me to send soldiers to investigate, but my advisor Falk suggested that a smaller force would be more than sufficient. The 'smaller force' turned out to be the dragonborn, of course. I'm not aware of the particulars, but I have been told that he was there by chance, and volunteered for the task._

_I'm sure I don't need to tell you this, but it turned out that the cave had become the home of a coven of necromancers who hoped to bind the spirit of Potema to their will. What they had planned to do if they had succeeded, I don't know. The thought alone is enough to send chills down my spine. Thankfully, however, they were stopped by the dragonborn before they could finish their spell._

_I met him for the first time once he returned, in order to thank him for his services personally. He seemed like such a nice man._

_So I asked him to do a personal favor for me. I asked him to... Ah. Well, suffice to say that we would have been in quite a lot of trouble if anyone had discovered what I asked of him."_

"_My lady, I assure you that I hold no interest in upholding the law of the empire. I wish only to learn about the dragonborn."_

"_Well, that's comforting. And I suppose that things have changed now. Very well. I asked that he honour the god Talos in my name for my dead husband. I felt that I could trust him with the task, and Falk assured me that he could be trusted. And, since I never had a Thalmor justiciar breaking down my doors, I assume that he was right. _

_Shortly thereafter we discovered the threat was not yet over, as Potema was still active. Our priests informed us that it was likely because the spell had been partially successful, and thus her spirit had returned. They told us that in order to defeat her once and for all, she would need to be exorcised. The dragonborn returned to us once again in order to secure her remains for the exorcism._

_The bards say that he fought in the catacombs below the Temple of the Divines for a whole day before he emerged, and I believe them. Once he delivered the skull of Potema to the pries of Arkay, he returned to us with the news._

_He looked as if he had fought his way out of a meat-grinder rather than a temple. He caused quite a stir, appearing in court like that. But we were glad to hear of his success, all the same. _

_I cannot help but think that he seemed different, however. Hardly surprising, considering the circumstances, but it still bothers me. He seemed very tired, as if the effort of standing was taxing for him. But he didn't move as if tired. He looked perfectly fine, in fact. It was just a feeling, I suppose. _

_When he left us again, it was with our thanks and warmest regards. Stories were already circulating about his adventure the day after, and I personally looked forward to hearing from him again. I thought that, in time, he might join my court. I had thought... well, that doesn't matter._

_Not long after, the we began losing the war. You have no idea how terrifying it was for us. It was as if a great storm fell across the land we held, and behind it came the stormcloaks. In a matter of weeks they had broken every single garrison we had throughout the holds, until at last they arrived at our gates. We were no match for them, and it only took a few hours to destroy the last of the empire's legions in Skyrim. _

_We learned later that the reason they managed to breach our walls so quickly was because of the dragonborn. He was welcomed inside as a hero. The guards had hoped that he would help throw back the Stormcloaks. Instead, he threw open the gates and kept them open long enough for Ulfric and his soldiers to storm the city."_

Lady Elisif paused at this point to ask a nearby servant for a cup of wine. I think it reasonable to assume that she was quite upset at recalling the fall of her city.

_"I wasted no time in announcing my surrender. Ulfric decided to show mercy by allowing me to keep my position."_

"_He walked behind Ulfric, with his sword in hand. And wearing a mask. A metal, the likes of which I had never seen. I don't know why, though to hear the bards tell it he did so because he had hoped not to be recognized. If so, he did a terrible job at it. Falk recognized the shield we had given him almost immediately. He didn't say a word through the whole thing. Just watched us surrender."_

Lady Elisif drank heavily of her wine here, and seemed grim.

"_That was the last time I saw him."_

"_I hate to contradict you, my lady, but you said that you met him once __after__ the war."_

"_Yes, I did, didn't I? Well..._

_You have to understand, when I last saw him it had been some after the war's conclusion. After my surrender, I admit that I and the rest of my court were bitter. Any news of the dragonborn's adventures were a fresh reminder of his betrayal, and so eventually we simply stopped listening. Falk was the only one of us who paid much mind, but I suspect it was mostly to look for some way of getting revenge. Most of us simply put him out of our minds and did our best to forget. I admit that I was one of those who did so, if only because every day I was reminded that my husband's murderer was now the High King. There was already salt in my wounds._

_And then one day, there he was. He was waiting for me in my room as I went to retire for the day. He was the same as he had been when he stood before me on the day of our defeat, and I __raged__ at him. I shouted at him, called him all sorts of names. I demanded that he leave._

_And he stood silent, listening to me. It made me angrier still._

_But I tired soon enough, and I admit that when I saw that my fury had not moved him I cried._

_Only then did he react. He laid a hand on my shoulder, and I was too tired to slap it away. And then he said "I'm sorry," and left. And __that__ was the last time I met him."_

Lady Elisif rubs at her eyes. I admit that her story, and her grief, made me feel quite awkward that I had pressed her to relate it to me.

"_My lady, I thank you for telling me this story. Have faith that I will not abuse the trust you have shown me in doing so: I will relay your words exactly as you have spoken them to my patron, and I assure you that your story will be treated with all the respect it deserves."_

"_I... thank you. I have not told many people about this."_

"_If you like, I can tell my patron that you do not wish your story to be published-"_

"_No, you needn't do that. Please, I feel tired. Do you have enough material?"_

"_Yes, of course my lady. Thank you again for your time, and I wish you a speedy recovery."_

As you can see for yourself, the failures of yesterday have not been repeated, and the faith you first put in me was not wasted. But even this is not enough to wholly establish our subject's character. Rest assured, I will uncover this mystery. The dragonborn's story will be told!

As the lady Elisif advised, I will be heading towards Whiterun in the coming days, tarrying only to procure the supplies I will need for the journey. While I am assured that travelling by wagon is completely safe, I would prefer to be prepared all the same.

It is my plan to stop awhile in the city of Whiterun in order to make some small investigations before proceeding on to Riverwood. My hope is that my time in the village will provide me with a clearer idea of where to pursue my investigations once I return to Whiterun. I will of course try to speak with the jarl Vignar Grey-Mane. (Such interesting names these Nords have.)

Until then, I can only wish you luck with your own work.

Faithfully yours,

Lavaemion of Alinor


	6. Second Missive

Lavaemion,

nkvzp gl gsv yziwh urigh.

F.


End file.
